Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Anyone stocked tilapia in their ponds and observed

Pullo -

From hatch to harvest you need anywhere from 6-9 months of growout time. Closer to 6 months time with high protein food, ideal temps and good water quality. More time without those things.

A lot of people I sell to for small backyard systems buy fry or 1 inch fingerlings in the fall or winter, grow them out inside until spring and then cage raise, stock tank raise or release into their ponds (depending on what they are using them for). Buying fry or 1 inch fingerlings saves a ton of money on shipping and the fish themselves are much cheaper. However, some people don't have the time or desire to mess with raising their own out in this fashion, so they buy advanced size fish. Just keep in mind that when you are trying to produce some food fish for yourself at a reasonable cost, you really are best off starting with fry stock.